Surface treating devices



1964' o. ALLEN ETAL 3 SURFACE TREATING DEVICES Filed June 1, 1962 IN V EN TORS Ou v54? 6'. 0445A! JOHN J Mouw/rr Wu mm I). Fan

JQLAM THEIR ATTDRNE Y United States Patent 3,121,896 SURFACE TREATING DEVTCES Gliver L. Ailen, Riverside, and John J. Moughty and William A. Boss, Qld Greenwich, Conn., assignors to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1962, Ser. No. 199,407 6 Claims. (til. 15-50) Our invention relates to a device particularly adapted for rug washing, but which also may be used for floor scrubbing and polishing.

When shampooing a rug in place on the floor it is important that the wetting of the rug be maintained at a minimum. Liquid applied to a rug tends to sink to the bottom thereof and if enough liquid is applied so that the backing becomes wet, certain materials present in the backing are dissolved and discolor the liquid. Thereafter, as the rug dries from the top down, this discolored liquid passes upwardly along the fibers by wick action and if the rug is of a light color, discoloration, commonly known as browning, takes place.

The rug scrubbing device in accordance with the present invention is so constructed that no free liquid detergent is able to reach the rug. On the contrary, the detergent is converted into foam well above the surface of the rug and only this foam is fed to the surface. This results in a much more even distribution of the detergent over the surface of the rug than would be possible if liquid were applied directly thereto and also greatly reduces the wetting of the rug, thus eliminating or greatly reducing the aforesaid browning effect.

Further objects and advantages of our invention wil be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and of which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a rotary brush forming part of the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but showing a removable stationary brush.

Referring to the drawings, reference character designates generally a motor, which may be of any type, but which is shown as being an air-driven motor. It includes a turbine wheel 12 mounted within a turbine chamber 14 around a portion of the periphery of which are arranged inlet blades 16 which direct air against the blades of the turbine wheel to cause the latter to rotate. The turbine is secured to a vertical shaft 18 mounted in suitable bearings and which also carries a pinion 20. The latter meshes with a gear wheel 22 which is mounted on a vertical shaft 24 supported in a bearing 26 formed in the motor housing.

The lower end of shaft 24 carries a hub 28 from the opposite sides of which extends a pin 30. Turnably mounted on the hub 28 is a driving member having a cylindrical portion 32 formed with slots through which the pin 36 extends. Integral with the cylindrical portion is a radial portion 34. A spring 36 is connected between the end of pin 30 and the radial portion 34. This arrangement provides a yieldable connection between the hub 28 and the driving member 32, 34 which, however, forms no part of the present invention and hence is not described in detail, but reference is made to Patent No. 2,609,555 issued September 9, 1952, to B. Anderson for a detailed description thereof.

A hollow elbow 40 is secured to the turbine housing and communicates with a space 42 therein located below the turbine wheel 12. The upper end of the elbow is 3,121,896 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 provided with a clamping arrangement 44 by means of which the elbow may be connected to a rigid tubular member 46 which may serve both as a handle for manipulating the device over the surface to be cleaned, as well as a conduit leading to a source of suction, such as a vacuum cleaner.

A liquid reservoir 48 having a generally annular shape surrounds the motor 10 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by screws, one of which is shown at 50 in FIG. 1. Reservoir 48 is formed with a filler opening at one side of its top wall, which is normally closed by means of a cap 52, which may be opened to introduce liquid detergent into the reservoir. Extending downwardly from the reservoir is a skirt 54 which is concentric with shaft 24 and is preferably formed With an outwardly flared rim at its lower end forming a bearing surface 56.

Removably carried by the flange 34 of the driving member is a rotary brush designated generally by reference character 58. This brush includes a flat annular back in the lower face of which is mounted a circular row of bristles 62. The central opening in back 60 is closed by means of a metal disc 64 secured thereto as by rivets 65 and which carries a pair of pins 66 which engage corresponding openings in flange 34 so as to transmit driving torque from the flange to the brush disc. Disc 64 may also carry a pair of slidable latch members 68 for releasably engaging slots in the flange 34. i The upper surface of annular back 60 is preferably formed with a plurality of inclined surfaces 70 which terminate at abrupt shoulders 72. Mounted in a recess 74 formed in the bottom of reservoir 48 is a stationary brush 76, the lower ends of the bristles of which are positioned so as to be contacted by the inclined surfaces 70 on the annular back 60 as the brush is rotated. An outlet opening '78 from the reservoir 48 is formed in the bottom of the latter and is spaced closely adjacent to the brush '76 in a direction therefrom which is opposite to the direction of rotation of the brush 58. A valve mounted on a valve stem 82 is provided for regulating flow of liquid detergent through the outlet 78. Valve stem 82 extends through a bushing 84 in the top of the reservoir and passes through a pivoted member 86 and is provided with a head 88 hearing against the upper surface of the pivoted member. A cord or the like 90 is connected to one end of the pivoted member and may extend up thehandle member 46 so as to be in easy reach of the operator.

The above described device operates as follows:

If the hollow handle 46 is connected to a vacuum cleaner, preferably by means of a flexible hose in the usual manner, operation of the cleaner causes atmospheric air to be guided by the vanes 16 into the turbine chamber 14 so as to cause the turbine wheel 12 to rotate. The air then passes along the path indicated by the arrow 92 into the elbow 40 and thence through tubular member 46 to the vacuum cleaner.

Rotation of the turbine wheel 12 causes rotation of the shaft 24 at a reduced speed, but with a multiplication of torque. Rotation of shaft 24 drives the brush 58 in rotation about a vertical axis at the same speed as the shaft. Although the bristles 62 of the brush normally extend beyond the bearing surface 56, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bristles are sufiiciently flexible so that if the device is placed on a rug or other surface the bristles are caused to flare outwardly and the major portion of the weight of the device is carried by the surface 56 of the skirt 54.

Assuming that the reservoir 48 has been filled with a detergent of the foaming type, the application of tension to the cord 90 by the operator pivots the member 86 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, thus lifting ice the valve stem 82 and opening the valve 80. This permits liquid detergent to flow by gravity through the outlet 78 and to be deposited on the upper surface of the annular back 60 of the rotating brush. Inasmuch as this surface is rotated toward the closely adjacent stationary brush 76, the liquid detergent is carried into contact with the stationary brush and the action of the later against the uneven upper surface of the back 60 serves to agitate the detergent and to whip air into it so as to produce foam on the upper surface of the brush and in the space between this upper surface and the lower surface of the bottom of the reservoir immediately thereabove. As foam is generated in this manner it overflows the edge of the rotating brush 58 and works its way down between the periphery of the brush and the inner surface of the skirt 54. It finally reaches the rotating bristles 62 and the foam is worked by these bristles into the rug.

This foam contains sufficient liquid detergent to dissolve and loosen the dirt present on the fibers of the rug, but there is not sufiicient liquid present to penetrate to the backing of the rug. Consequently, discoloration or browning of a light colored rug is effectively avoided.

If it is desired to employ the above described device as a floor polisher, the latches 68 of the brush 58 may be slid towards each other so as to release the brush from the flange 34 and a similar brush, but one having stiffer bristles may be substituted. Also, a ring of bristles 94 may be secured within the lower end of the skirt 54 by means of one or more spring clamps 96, as is shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4 for the sake of clarity, the rotary polishing brush is not shown as it would almost completely hide the stationary ring of bristles 94 from view.

While we have shown and described one more or less specific embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for the purpose of illustration only and that the scope of our invention is not to be limited thereby but is to be determined from the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a surface treating device, motor means, a relatively flat surface-contacting element driven in rotation by said motor means about a substantially vertical axis, means for supplying a liquid having foaming properties to the upper face of said element, and flexible stationary means in sliding contact with said rotating upper face for generating foam from said liquid in the immediate locality of said upper face.

2. In a surface treating device, motor means, a relatively flat surface-contacting element driven in rotation by said motor means about a substantially vertical axis, means for supplying a liquid having foaming properties to the upper face of said element, flexible stationary means in sliding contact with said rotating upper face for generating foam from said liquid in the immediate locality of said upper face, and a skirt surrounding said element in spaced relation thereto for guiding the foam from said locality downwardly around the periphery of said element.

3. In a surface treating device, motor means having a drive shaft, a substantially horizontal wall carried by said motor means and having an opening through which said drive shaft extends, a circular brush carried in rotation by said shaft in spaced relation below said wall, said wall having an aperture therethrough for supplying a liquid having foaming properties to the upper surface of said brush, and stationary flexible means carried by said wall and contacting said upper surface for generating foam from said liquid in the immediate locality of said upper surface.

4. In a surface treating device, motor means having a drive shaft, a substantially horizontal wall carried by said motor means and having an opening through which said drive shaft extends, a circular brush carried in rotation by said shaft in spaced relation below said wall and having a stepped upper surface, said wall having an aperture therethrough for supplying a liquid having foaming properties to said stepped surface, and a stationary brush carried by said wall and having bristles contacting said stepped surface for generating foam from said liquid in the immediate locality of said stepped upper surface.

5. In a surface treating device, motor means having a drive shaft, a substantially horizontal wall carried by said motor means and having an opening through which said drive shaft extends, a circular brush carried in rotation by said shaft in spaced relation below said wall, said wall having an aperture therethrough for supplying a liquid having foaming properties to the upper surface of said brush, and stationary flexible means carried by said wall closely spaced from said aperture in the direction of rotation of said brush for generating foam from said liquid in the immediate locality of said upper surface.

6. In a surface treating device, motor means having a drive shaft, a substantially horizontal wall carried by said motor means and having an opening through which said drive shaft extends, a circular brush carried in rotation by said shaft in spaced relation below said wall, an annular reservoir surrounding said motor above said wall, said wall having an aperture therethrough from said reservoir for supplying a liquid having foaming properties to the upper surface of said brush, stationary flexible means carried by said wall and contacting said upper surface for generating foam from said liquid on said upper surface, and a skirt depending from said wall around said brush in spaced relation thereto for guiding the foam from said upper surface downwardly around the periphery of said brush.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,708 Arundel Apr. 16, 1912 2,039,356 Smalley May 5, 1936 2,217,617 Conway Oct. 8, 1940 3,046,586 Allen et al. July 31, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,078,301 Germany Mar. 24, 1960 1,081,200 Germany May 5, 1960 

1. IN A SURFACE TREATING DEVICE, MOTOR MEANS, A RELATIVELY FLAT SURFACE-CONTACTING ELEMENT DRIVEN IN ROTATION BY SAID MOTOR MEANS ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A LIQUID HAVING FOAMING PROPERTIES TO THE UPPER FACE OF SAID ELEMENT, AND FLEXIBLE STATIONARY MEANS IN SLIDING CONTACT WITH SAID ROTATING UPPER FACE FOR GENERATING FOAM FROM SAID LIQUID IN THE IMMEDIATE LOCALITY OF SAID UPPER FACE. 